The Finder on your Mac explained: finding and organising files

The Finder is the program you use on a Mac to manage your files and folders, comparable to File Explorer on Windows. The blue face on the left of the Dock is the Finder, and it is always running. This article explains how the Finder works, which handy features you might not know yet and what to do when the Finder freezes or no longer shows your files.

Blue Apple repairs MacBooks in Amsterdam. If files or drives suddenly disappear from the Finder, a hardware problem can be behind it; more about that at the end.

The basics

• Opening a window: click the Finder in the Dock, or press Command + N when the Finder is in front.
• The sidebar: on the left you see your favourites, such as Applications, Desktop, Documents and Downloads, plus iCloud Drive and connected drives. Drag a folder to the sidebar to pin it there.
• Tabs: Command + T opens a new tab in the same window, handy for dragging files between folders.

Four views

• Icons (Command + 1): large icons.
• List (Command + 2): with columns for date, size and kind. Click a column name to sort.
• Columns (Command + 3): shows which folder a file is in.
• Gallery (Command + 4): a large preview, handy for photos.

Handy features

• Quick Look: select a file and press the space bar. You see a preview without opening the file.
• Path bar: choose Show Path Bar in the View menu (or Option + Command + P). At the bottom you then see exactly where a file is.
• Go to a folder: Shift + Command + G and type the path.
• Search: Command + F in a Finder window. Choose at the top whether to search the whole Mac or only the current folder.
• Tags: give files a colour via right-click. In the sidebar you then see all files with that tag together.
• Show hidden files: Shift + Command + full stop. Press again to hide them. Be careful changing or deleting them.
• New folder: Shift + Command + N.

Copying and moving files

Dragging within the same drive moves a file; dragging to another drive copies it. Moving with the keyboard is Command + C and then Option + Command + V. More in copy and paste on a MacBook.

The Finder freezes or does not respond

1. Press Command + Option + Esc, choose Finder and click Relaunch.
2. If it keeps hanging on a certain folder or external drive, disconnect that drive and try again.
3. Restart the Mac.

Your files or drive are missing in the Finder

• A drive is not in the sidebar: check Finder settings (Command + comma), under Sidebar, whether drives are ticked.
• An external drive does not appear at all: try another cable and port, and open Disk Utility to see whether the Mac recognises it.
• Files seem gone: search for the name with Spotlight, and check the Bin and iCloud Drive.

If the internal drive disappears or the Finder gives errors when opening files, immediately back up what you can still reach. It can point to a drive that is failing.

What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam

We test the internal storage, ports and cables when drives or files no longer appear, and help get data back when needed. More about MacBook data recovery and our page about MacBook repair in Amsterdam.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Finder on a Mac?

The program for your files and folders, like File Explorer on Windows.

Can I quit the Finder?

Not in the normal way; it is part of macOS. You can relaunch it via Force Quit.

How do I open the Library folder?

Hold Option and choose Library in the Go menu.